Green Collar Jobs: Sustainable Renovation

By Lauren Bjerk 

In all too many areas of the world, certain jobs are becoming obsolete. But in particular areas of the job-sphere, there has risen a shade of occupation to counter the typical colored jobs: Green Collar Jobs. Every  
 
  week, we'll profile a new, unique occupation that has come into play in our gradually changing, eco-conscious world, and this week we're looking at sustainable renovations.

Rarely do you see a "For Sale" sign on a home that totes the electricity hungry aspects of a traditional, environmentally-blind structure. Coupling the cost cutting effects of modifying your home to be eco-friendly, along with it's positive effect on the environment, many citizens of planet Earth may be intrigued, but at a loss of how and where to begin. Enter the sustainable renovator.

The key aspect of a sustainable renovators job is simple: make the home greener. But what does that entail? Here are a few things this occupation focuses on:

1. Energy Efficiency. The renovations must conserve energy, not just in the present, but the long run as well.

2. Ecological Designs. The renovator must be informed by up-to-date ecological and holistic designs.

3. Sustainable Materials. When building or rebuilding, the renovator must use all materials deemed sustainable.

4. Responsible Waste Management. This is key in the renovation, because for this occupation the end result is just as important has how it came to be, and in this case, how the wasted materials were recycled or reused.

5. Non-Toxic Beauty.Like any other design job, customer satisfaction is key. Green houses not only need to be healthy for the environment and it's inhabitants, but also long-lasting and visually appealing. If they fail to meet this key requirement, than it looks like just another obsolete or underused job.  

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